Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce AUGUST 2018 the Chamber Names Small Business of the Year Finalists Clarence Ball Named Meet the Board Outstanding Entrepreneur of Advisors the business view AUGUST 2018 1 business Your business comes first. That’s why we’re #1 in reliability. So we deliver industry leading levels of reliability, ensuring you get the performance and uptime your business needs from a solution you rely on every day. HD HD Voice Quality Premium Polycom Phones Best in class uptime and reliability Unlimited Nationwide Calling Cloud-based PBX We manage your phone service so you can focus on whatever drives your results. C Spire. Customer inspired. 2cspire.com/business the business view AUGUST 2018 | suncoast@cspire.com | 251.459.8999 ©2018 C Spire. All rights reserved. the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce AUGUST 2018 | In this issue ON THE COVER business From the Publisher - Bill Sisson The 2018 finalists for the Mobile Area Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Award were staged at Joe Jefferson Players. Read more about Blue Fish, Talent Development is Key to Job Growth Harper Technologies and Lagniappe on pages 30-31, and the award event details on page 34. Our community has had a while working to improve on Photo by Jeff Tesney. tremendous run of job creation our weaknesses. over the past number of years. Nationwide, the biggest From Austal to Airbus to challenge all communities 4 News You Can Use Your business comes first. AM/NS Calvert and Outokumpu face is related to workforce. to SSAB, the list goes on and on. Communities that figure out 9 Small Business of the Month: How do we continue to talent development, both from Legal Imaging LLC bring jobs to Mobile in various within their communities and That’s why we’re #1 in reliability. business sectors? One thing is by successfully recruiting 11 Meet the Chamber’s Board of Advisors for sure: There is no silver bullet. talented workers from outside So we deliver industry leading levels of reliability, ensuring you get However, through our Partners their regions, will be the ones 28 Mobile’s Largest B2B Expo for Growth economic development strategy, that prosper in the future. While there is Coming Aug. 23 the performance and uptime your business needs from a solution we have a solid pathway to capitalize on the no easy answer, the thing our community sound economic development base that can do collectively to help the most would 30 Chamber Names Three Small Business you rely on every day. has been developed over the past decades. be to invest more time and more resources of the Year Finalists Businesses we recruit to this area are into education and workforce development. looking for common items such as utility Just imagine how site selectors would line 32 Clarence Bell Named Outstanding costs, incentives, building and land up to bring more companies to Mobile if Entrepreneur availability, transportation infrastructure, we had a large pool of trained workers HD HD Voice Quality education, workforce and quality of life. ready and able to fill newly created jobs. 33 Business Spotlight of the Month: Are we stronger in some and weaker in So what can we do? As business leaders, C2 Wealth Strategies others? You bet. But, like all great Chambers we can start by talking with our youth every of Commerce, we focus on our strengths chance we get about the importance of a 33 Ambassador of the Month: Premium Polycom Phones strong work ethic, good communication Nichelle Evans-Pugh skills, a positive attitude and the ability to accept and learn from mistakes and 34 Calendar criticism. We need to do a better job helping 35 Member News Best in class uptime and reliability our children identify career opportunities 4 right here at home while in the K-12 system 37 Anniversaries and beyond. Let’s never forget that we have talent 38 New Members Unlimited Nationwide Calling right here in our own backyard. We just need to work together to bring it to harvest. An all-hands-on-deck approach to developing talent would bring more jobs the business view is published monthly, to Mobile. Let’s work together to develop except for the combined issue of December/January, Cloud-based PBX it. It might just be the silver bullet after all. by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 451 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602 251-433-6951 www.mobilechamber.com ©2018 Publisher William B. Sisson We manage your phone service Executive Editor Leigh Perry-Herndon so you can focus on whatever Managing Editor Jennifer Jenkins 6 Copy Editor Michelle Irvin drives your results. Additional Writers and Editors Mike Herndon, Ashley Horn, C Spire. Customer inspired. Susan Rak-Blanchard and Carolyn Wilson Printing Services: Interstate Printing/Direct Mail Graphic Design: Wise Design Inc. Advertising Account Executive: René Eiland 9 251-431-8635 reiland@mobilechamber.com cspire.com/business | suncoast@cspire.com | 251.459.8999 the business view AUGUST 2018 3 ©2018 C Spire. All rights reserved. NEWS you can use Airbus to Increase Production – More Jobs, More Planes A lot can happen from more fuel-efficient and quieter. related functions will be based significant value to Airbus, our Friday to Monday, and that The Airbus and Canadian- in Mirabel, Québec. customers and shareholders.” certainly was the case in June at based Bombardier partnership Officials of both companies “Airbus’ unmatched global the Airbus Final Assembly Line brings together two expect to see significant C Series scale, strong customer in Mobile. complementary product lines production efficiencies by relationships and operational On Friday, June 8, after projected to drive 6,000 new leveraging Airbus’ production expertise are necessary receiving all regulatory approvals, aircraft orders over the next 20 ramp-up expertise. Airbus also ingredients for unleashing the Airbus announced it was set to years. brings to the table its global full value of the aircraft,” said acquire a majority stake in the “Additional capacity has reach, scale, procurement Alain Bellemare, Bombardier Bombardier C Series aircraft always been a goal of our organization and expertise in president and CEO. effective July 1. The Mobile Area economic development team,” selling, marketing and producing “All of us at Airbus are excited Chamber worked this project said David Rodgers, vice the C Series – a state-of-the-art to welcome the employees of the since 2017, and the joint venture president of economic jet aircraft family in the 100- to C Series Aircraft Limited had Mobile buzzing with the development for the Mobile 150-seat market. Partnership into the extended news a second final assembly Area Chamber. “Since the “The strength of the entire Airbus team, and to welcome line (FAL) would be added here initial Airbus FAL opened in Airbus organization will be the C Series aircraft to Airbus’ and create more than 400 jobs. 2015, more than 20 aerospace behind the C Series,” said product offerings beginning Three days later, Airbus companies have located to Airbus CEO Tom Enders. “Not July 1,” said Kristi Tucker, celebrated the delivery of the Mobile. We’re looking forward only will that enable this spokesperson for Airbus. “It first U.S.-produced A321 aircraft. to continuing to see additional outstanding aircraft to fulfill its will also be exciting to see us It is also the first new engine investment here, as we work to market potential, but we are grow further in Mobile.” convinced the addition of the option (NEO) aircraft produced grow our aerospace cluster.” You’ll see this symbol with in the United States. What The partnership’s head office, C Series to our overall aircraft stories featuring Chamber initiatives. makes the NEO stand out is it is primary assembly line and product offering brings New Leaders Reception In June, the Mobile Area Chamber hosted a reception to welcome new executives to the Mobile area who are either Chamber Partners for Growth investors, Board of Advisors members or nonprofits. Prior to the reception, a roundtable discussion was led by City of Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson and Chamber President & CEO Bill Sisson. Pictured here from left to right are: Stimpson, Hudson, Jill Chenoweth, United Way; Sisson; John Baker, Thompson Engineering; Jennie Campbell, The Stewart Lodges; Abe Harper, Harper Technologies; David Price, Arkema; Shellie Teague, Mobile Arts Council; Tim Last, Quincy Compressor; Kendall Wall, SMG Mobile Convention & Civic Centers; Jim Nagy, Mobile Arts & Sports Association/Reese’s Senior Bowl; Michele Rumpf, Mobile United; and Duncan Gillis, BBB Industries. 4 the business view AUGUST 2018 the business view AUGUST 2018 5 Photos by Jeff Tesney Chamber Welcomes Canadian Delegation to Mobile The Mobile Area Chamber SEUS-CP is a strategic and investment; a leading expert conference attendees. This co-hosted the 11th annual partnership between six on the impact of generational year’s anchor companies were Southeastern United States – Southeastern U.S. states and six change and its impact on the Alabama Power Co., Airbus; Canadian Provinces Alliance member provinces from Canada, workplace and marketplace, Austal USA; BL Harbert (SEUS-CP) with the Alabama established in 2007 to enhance Cam Marston; and a high-energy International; CGI Federal; Department of Commerce in economic ties and encourage Mardi Gras-themed gala dinner. Continental Motors; Kamtek June. Conference events took technological and scientific With 240 registrants, over 300 (a division of Magna); Mercedes- place at the Battle House Hotel exchanges between the two regions. business-to-business Benz U.S. International; NASA; and the National Maritime The 2018 conference featured matchmaking appointments PowerSouth; Prism Systems Inc.; Museum of the Gulf Coast. panel discussions focusing on were made with the “anchor and Tennessee Valley Authority.